Alternative HK Link Road Route:Critical for Tung Chung

Tung Chung Sustainable Development

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

• There is a viable alternative to the HK Government’s recommended scheme, “Option 7 - adjusted”.• The proposed HK Link Road (HKLR) via Tung Chung Bay will have a negative and damaging impact on the

local environment, residents quality of life, and the tourist attractions of Tung Chung and Lantau Island by:– Impacting the health and quality of life of residents of Tung Chung town centre and Yat Tung Estate

Create by creating vehicle emissions and noise pollution within half a kilometer of Tung Chung towncentre and Coastal Skyline residential development

– Creating permanent damage to Tung Chung Bay and the surrounding Lantau Island coastline– Having a negative impact on the Lantau Island / Tung Chung tourist experience and for visitors using the

Ngong Ping 360 cable car, with a potential economic impact by reducing the tourist attraction of the area• There is an alternative route for the HKLR. Designing Hong Kong proposes to move the alignment of the

planned HKLR north of the airport island and run the road through a tunnel parallel to the proposed third airportrunway. The alternative HKLR route will:

– Lessen vehicle emissions and noise pollution affecting Tung Chung residents as the road would be locatedout of sight of Tung Chung town centre

– Avoid a negative impact on health of the Tung Chung population– Ensure there is no impact on the natural beauty of the Lantau coastline and Tung Chung Bay

• The alternative HKLR route will not have a negative affect on Chep Lap Kok airport expansion:– Airport safety is not affected by public roads running within the airport perimeter (e.g. roads running

under runways, within the perimeter, and in close proximity to other major international airports includeSchiphol, Heathrow, Charles De Gaulle, Heathrow, Gatwick, Sao Paulo)

– Potential future reclamation for runway 3 and expansion of the airport will not be affected by thealternative route

– Sha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau marine parks are several kilometers north west of the alternative road routeand airport perimeter

– Pink Dolphins re already affected by the HK Link Road as well as related construction• The alternative route for the HKLR is critical for the future health and quality of life of Tung Chung residents. It

is viable, and is a ‘win-win’ solution for government and Tung Chung residents.

HKLR will create harmful vehicle emissions and noise pollution within half a kilometerof Tung Chung town centre and residential developments. A US university study showsthat this brings direct harm to the health of the nearby population.

“There is growing evidence of a distinct set of freshly-emitted air pollutants downwind from major highways,motorways, and freeways that include elevated levels of ultrafine particulates, black carbon, oxides of nitrogen,and carbon monoxide. People living or otherwise spending substantial time within about 200 m of highwaysare exposed to these pollutants more so than persons living at a greater distance, even compared to living onbusy urban streets. Evidence of the health hazards of these pollutants arises from studies that assess proximityto highways, actual exposure to the pollutants, or both. Taken as a whole, the health studies show elevated riskfor development of asthma and reduced lung function in children who live near major highways. Studies ofparticulate matter that show associations with cardiac and pulmonary mortality also appear to indicateincreasing risk…suggesting localized sources that likely include major highways.”*

*Source: ‘Near highway pollutants in motor vehicle exhaust: A review of epidemiologic evidence of cardiac and pulmonary health risks’, Tufts University Schoolof Medicine, Boston, USA (published 9 August 2007)

HKLR will create a vehicle emissions trap between urban Tung Chung and the Chep LapKok island coastline

The HKLR via Tung Chung Bay brings an increase in vehicle emissions to within 0.5 km of residential areas andpresents problems for dispersal of emissions because of the trapping effect of Lantau Island mountains. Vehiclenoise pollution will also have a 24x7 impact on residents.

Dispersal of harmful pollutants will be hampered by vehicle emissions being trapped between the Lantaumountains and Tung Chung Bay, leaving Tung Chung as a smog zone.

The high traffic volume, vehicle speeds, number of trucks using the HKLR, the lack of emission controls on trucksin the Pearl River Delta area, and the surrounding terrain will contribute to a major harmful impact on pollutionand noise for Tung Chung town centre, Yat Tung Estate, Fu Tung Estate, Tung Chung Crescent, Coastal Skylineand Caribbean Coast residential areas.

Vehicle emissiontrap

*Source: ‘Near highway pollutants in motor vehicle exhaust: A review of epidemiologic evidence of cardiac and pulmonary health risks’, Tufts University Schoolof Medicine, Boston, USA (published 9 August 2007)

HKLR will create permanent damage to the surrounding Lantau Island coastline

The proposed HKLR landing point on the western side of Sha Lo Wan will cause a permanent ugly scar acrossthe Lantau Island coastline.

The natural beauty of Sha Lo Wan will be destroyed forever and the lifestyle of the indigenous villagersdestroyed by the impact of the road construction, the road impact on the ferry pier and ferry route, and the 24x7ambient road noise.

The popular walking path that runs through the Lantau North Country Park from Tung to Tai O via Sha Lo Wanwill be ruined by the HKLR impact on the natural beauty of the coastline as well as the road noise.

Photo 1, Source: Hong Kong Highways Department

HKLR will create permanent damage to Tung Chung Bay

The proposed HKLR route through Tung Chung Bay will destroy a key feature of the Tung Chung new town:The natural beauty of the bay is central to the Tung Chung new town environment and a major attraction toresidents, tourists and visitors.

The road will not only destroy the ambiance of the bay, but also impact local fishing.

Although the Lantau Island coast of the bay will be part of the HKLR route, the entire bay will be unviable as anattraction to new town residents, tourists and visitors because of the six lanes of traffic running along the airportcoast.

Photo 1, Source: Hong Kong Highways Department

HKLR will have a negative impact on the Lantau Island / Tung Chung touristexperience and for visitors using the Ngong Ping 360 cable car, with a potentialeconomic impact by reducing the tourist attraction of the area

The proposed route of the HKLR will create an eyesore that will be damaging to tourist business created by attractionssuch as the Ngong Ping 360 cable car.

The HKLR proposed route via Tung Chung Bay will create an ugly eyesore within clear view of the tourists andvisitors to the Ngong Ping 360 cable car. What is now a beautiful open view of an un-spoilt coastline and greenwaters will become a view of a narrow muddy channel bounded by a busy six lane highway carrying diesel smokeemitting heavy goods vehicles 24x7.

MTR, the cable car operator, states on their website that “Ngong Ping 360 is destined to be one of Hong Kong's 'mustsee' attractions. Preserving the natural ecological environment and features of the Ngong Ping area and converging thecustom and culture of the Lantau Island, Ngong Ping 360 is sure to refresh your body and enlighten your mind, assoon as you step on the Cable Car.”*

* Source: www.np360.com.hk ; photographs courtesy of NP360 Image Library

There is an alternative route for the HKLR. Designing Hong Kong proposes, as a firststep, to move the alignment of the planned HKLR north of the airport island and runthe road through a tunnel parallel to the proposed third airport runway.

The HKLR can be routed north of the airport to avoid any impact on Sha Lo Wan, Tung Chung Bay and town centre,Scenic Hill, and residential areas. The alternative route would not impact any future additional airport runwayexpansion, which could be accessed over a tunnel portion of the HKLR. The BCF can be located on the west side ofthe airport, away from residential areas and offshore from the Lantau coastline.

The vehicle emissions from the HK Link Road would be at a sufficient distance from Tung Chung residential areasso that dispersal takes place before a major impact on the urban population. The distance of the road from the urbanareas will have a key benefit to the health of the local population.

The alternative HKLR route will not have a negative affect on Chep Lap Kok airport

Source: Photo 1, ‘About Dutch freeways / motorways’, http://www.autosnelwegen.nl ; Photo 2, Google Earth

Part of the Netherlands A4 road is the Schiphol-tunnel, which crosses the Buitenveldert landingstrip of Schiphol airport

Airport safety is not affected by public roads running within the airport perimeter. There are many examples ofpublic roads running under runways, within the perimeter, and in close proximity to other major internationalairports include Schiphol, Heathrow, Charles De Gaulle, Heathrow, Gatwick, Sao Paulo (see Appendix pages).

Schiphol airport in the Netherlands has a major road tunnel running under one of the runways as well as a anetwork of public roads in close proximity to the airport perimeter and other runways. Security and safety are notcompromised and can be integrated in the airport planning process.

Comparisons between Chep Lap Kok and Schiphol airports reveal that passenger numbers are similar: In 2007CLK carried 47.8m passengers, and Schiphol carried 47.793m passengers. Schiphol is one of Europe’s busiestcargo airports. If an airport of the size and complexity of Schiphol can run a safe and best in class airport with amajor public road running via a tunnel under a runway, why cannot Hong Kong ?

Moving the BCF west is better for the Pink Dolphins, which primarily use theBrothers Islands, East of the Airport.

*Source: www.hkdolphinwatch.com

Pink Dolphins swimming and living off the Lantau Island coast are affected by the massive construction worksfor the Zhuhai-Macau-HK bridge. Dolphin swimming areas north of the airport have been affected by pastairport construction and that habitat lost. Moving the BCF to the west of the airport will benefit the PunkDolphins as their swimming routes to the Brothers Islands will be unaffected.

“Constructing the proposed Tuen Mun-Chep Lap Kok Link will inevitably mean damage to the dolphinhabitat, and even life threatening to the dolphins, considering the amount of noise, pollution and damage tothe sea bed involved.

As dolphin watchers, we find it utterly ironic that two pink dolphins are featured at the front page of theConcept Plan. If all the reclamation and development are to be carried out as planned, where do we leave forthe dolphins? According to our experience, dolphins are every now and then seen very close to the shore ofSiu Ho and Tai O, particularly in the summer. We have already taken away the dolphins’ core habitat atChep Lap Kok, the least we can do is to stop destroying the sea and marine ecology there. Dolphins need areasonable size of habitat that allows free ranging for food and socializing, further shrinking our dolphins’habitat will make it more and more difficult for the existing population to sustain.

We urge the Government to seriously reconsider all the reclamation plans along the Lantau coastline as thefirst step to better protect the dolphins and nature. We would like to see more areas being assigned asprotection areas, and the proposed marine park should expand to cover the waters off Tai O which is an areaused by dolphins and finless porpoises.” *

ConclusionThe proposed route of the HK Link Road will have a hugely damaging effect on the quality of life of TungChung residents. Vehicle emissions will be harmful to this and future generations of residents.The natural beauty of Lantau Island coastline and Tung Chung Bay will be decimated. Residents, visitors, andtourists will suffer.There is an alternative route for the HK Link Road. The road can run north of the airport and still join with theplanned Border Crossing Facilities.The alternative route is a win-win solution for Tung Chung residents, the Hong Kong tourist industry, and theHong Kong Government as the leader of the project.The HK Link Road route must be altered, for a sustainable Tung Chung.

Appendix - Major airports with roads crossing airport area or running adjacent to theairport

CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRPORT, FRANCE

Source: Google Earth

HEATHROW AIRPORT, UK

Source: Google Earth

GATWICK AIRPORT, UK

Source: Google Earth

SAO PAULO AIRPORT

Source: Google Earth